Montreat Minute for January 16, 2026

January 16, 2026

Town Offices Closed on Monday

Seal of the Town of Montreat, North Carolina, featuring a brick arch bridge with Montreat written above it, and the year 1967 below, surrounded by trees and a red-orange border with the town’s name.

Just a reminder that Town offices will be closed on Monday, January 19th, in observance of the Martin Luther King holiday. There will be no trash pick up on Monday. Pick up will be delayed until Tuesday. All functions will return to normal hours on Tuesday. Of course, police services are not affected and will be operating 24/7 as normal.

New Officer Hired by MPD

A police badge shaped patch with POLICE at the top, MONTREAT in a banner below a brick arch illustration, and NC at the bottom. The arch says MONTREAT with trees on either side.

Montreat police chief, Jeff Eaton, announced today the hiring of a new Montreat police officer. Officer Elijah Ammons will begin full-time duty on Monday. Officer Ammons was sworn in in late December and has been working part-time learning the “ropes” of a Montreat patrol officer.

Elijah will be working nights, 6:00 pm to 6:00 am. Prior to coming to Montreat, he was a patrol officer in Old Fort. Welcome Elijah to Montreat when you see him.

Our gratitude goes out to Chief Eaton, Captain Bradley, Officers Whitson and Bocanegra, and various reserve officers for filling in to work the late shift while the position was open. This is an excellent example of a department that works well together and pitches in when help is needed. Please thank all of them when you see them.

A Reminder About Dogs

A golden retriever holds a brown leash in its mouth, looking up with a friendly expression. The background is a solid light pink color.

Montreaters love dogs including Jack, Bunny, Rosie, Sammy, Bo, Baxter, Scout, and Twig, just to name a few. Additionally, many visitors come to Montreat to walk their dogs too. With so many dogs, we would like to remind everyone of several important dog issues. Town ordinances state:

  • All dogs must be on a leash at all times, never running free, even in open spaces
  • All pet waste must be collected and disposed of properly

If you have a dog, please abide by the rules. If you have friends with dogs, please remind them of these two important points.

Landcare Endorses Bear Book

Book cover titled If Bears Could Talk... by A. Montreat Bear, assisted by John Ellington, featuring a photo of a window view with outdoor furniture and trees, plus a small bear statue inside.

Former Montreat resident, John Ellington, wrote a children’s book a few years back about bears. The main character is a Montreat bear. If Bears Could Talk offers a witty and charming look at life in the mountains, told from the bear’s point of view. The book is a blend of interesting facts, humor, local lore, and real-life encounters.

He speaks about bears in general, but also goes into why we shouldn’t feed bears, how they need to stay wild, and other good environmental information about bears.

Recently, the Montreat Landcare Committee’s BearWise initiative endorsed John’s book for children and adults due to its pertinence to Montreat’s bear issues. Copies of the book are available at the Montreat Store.

A hand is writing the word REMINDERS in black marker, with a red underline, on a white background.
  • The Montreat Board of Adjustment will meet on Thursday, January 22nd, at 5:00 pm in the Town Hall Community Room. The meeting will be live-streamed. CLICK HERE for agenda information and streaming instructions. All are invited to attend.
  • Do you receive your own copy of the Montreat Minute or know someone who doesn’t? Sign up for the Sunshine List to receive the Montreat Minute and stay “in the know” about the Town’s happenings. CLICK HERE to sign up for the list!
  • Do you receive Montreat Code Red alerts, an emergency communications system used a number of times during the hurricane? If not, CLICK HERE to register and ensure you will be contacted in the event of an emergency.

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